The PFA Player of the Season scored 31 goals as the Reds finished second in 2013-14 but caused controversy while at the World Cup by biting Giorgio Chiellini, his third such incident, which led to a ban from all footballing activity until the end of October.

Suarez had previously bitten opponents while at both Ajax and Liverpool, as well as once being suspended for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, and Scudamore says that he was "an accident waiting to happen".

"I think probably the time had come [for Suarez to go]," he told the press. "He's a great player and I'm not taking anything away from his talents - he was voted by both his own players and the media last year the player of the year and deservedly so.

"He's great to have but an accident waiting to happen and, if you spend your time trying to promote what's good about the Premier League, you're always waiting for the next thing to come along.

"And this one in the summer, although it was with Uruguay, although it didn't directly involve the Premier League, clearly it reflected on Liverpool as one of our great clubs and it reflected on us.

"He's done his time here but I can't say I'm sorry to see him go. I think it was good business on a number of levels from Liverpool to move Suarez on."

Having appealed his four-month Fifa ban, Suarez's fate will be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.